INQUIRER.net Eleksyon 2007

Unity among opposition solons sought

INQUIRER.net

Lira Dalangin-Fernandez

MANILA, Philippines—Minority lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Friday joined calls for unity among opposition forces to guarantee victory in the May 2010 election, and warned that failure to achieve this could be advantageous to the administration.

Representative Joel Villanueva said political leaders in the opposition should set aside "big ego . . . for the sake of victory."

"We should really unite and set aside small differences,” he said in a text message. “Unity is the last and only option."

Villanueva, who represents the party list Citizen Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) and Bayan Muna party list Representative Teodoro Casiño said the opposition should learn its lesson from the 2004 presidential polls, where several anti-administration candidates ran, dividing the votes.

"It is crucial if we are not to repeat the waterloo of 2004," Casiño said.

Casiño said that as the election draws near, some in the opposition would have to give way to candidates "who represent and can fulfill the people's desire for real change."

Bayan Muna is among the groups that spearheaded the formation of the Makabayan coalition launched Thursday. Casiño said he hopes the coalition can help draw together the anti-administration forces.

His fellow Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo also stressed the need to gather together the opposition into a formidable bloc.

Ocampo, however, lamented that not much effort is being exerted towards unity.

"The need to unite all opposition parties and groups and to have just one opposition presidential candidate has been put forward since last year. But it doesn't look like it is being worked on by the parties or by any group," he said in a separate text message.

"We will see how this situation may be exploited by the administration for its own advantage," Ocampo added.

Parañaque Representative Roilo Golez said it was difficult to distinguish who the real opposition forces are.

"Save for a number of consistent personalities both in the Senate and the House, based on their votes and categorical statements on major issues, it's difficult to define who are in administration and who are in the opposition," he said.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel on Thursday broached the idea of having a national unification conference to set the path towards unity of the opposition personalities and groups for next year's election.

Former vice president Teofisto Guingona in a message read by his son, Bukidnon Representative Teofisto Guingona III, also underscored the need for unity, saying this would lead to victory in 2010.

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